About this review This review is my honest opinion of the irons, which I bought with my own money in August 2021.

My take

The Callaway Apex DCBs are high-launching and powerful irons. They offer loads of forgiveness and excel at maintaining ball speed across the face. These qualities are often reserved for chunky irons that often don’t appease the more advanced player, but these irons are sleek and very reasonably sized from heel-to-toe.

About the club I own

• Model: Callaway Apex DCB Irons 5-AW
• Loft setting: Standard
• Shaft type: True Temper Elevate ETS 85 (Steel)
• Shaft flex: Stiff

About me

• Average score: 87
• Handicap: 12
• Experience: 5 years
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-handed
• Typical ball flight: Mid-height draw
• Golf ball used: TaylorMade TP5x
• Club swing speed: 102 mph (Driver)

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: August 2021
• Days tested: 4 months
• Where I’ve used it: Range, course, & simulator
• Weather and wind conditions: Mostly Fall weather conditions and indoor settings

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was hoping to find something sleek, yet still forgiving and easy to hit. For my skill level, I’m not really looking to work the ball a ton, I typically just play my stock draw. I also prioritized clubs that were forged and promised an excellent feel. I wanted that added feedback on mishits and buttery feel on center strikes.

Why I chose this club

They really fulfilled every need that I had, I don’t think there’s a better iron out there for the 13-18 handicap player. They’ve helped me improve because of the shorter heel-to-toe length, and also haven't punished me even if I’m not puring every iron shot. A few other options that I looked into were the Callaway Apex (non-DCB model), Srixon ZX5, and the Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metals. I chose the DCBs because they provided the perfect blend of forgiveness and distance, while still helping me improve my game and overall ball striking.

What I love about it

• Distance: The DCBs feel very powerful, and despite the strong lofts, they land softly because of the high launching trajectory. I have flown a couple of greens just because these clubs are so long in terms of distance. Some of it may be the altitude in Colorado, but a ball will take off on me a little bit from time to time.
• Forgiveness: There is very little loss of ball speed on off-center strikes. They’re as forgiving as anything I’ve ever played, including irons that were much chunkier visually. These irons provide a really nice balance in terms of heel-to-toe length (not huge or bulky) while still maintaining a ton of forgiveness. Toe strikes seem to lose less ball speed and distance when compared to heel misses.
• Feel: Mishits are definitely noticeable, so feedback is strong. On pure strikes, these irons feel like butter. When I hit a pure shot, I’ll know it.
• Shaft Feel: The Elevate ETS shafts are a great stock option and I’ve been extremely impressed with them. They provide good feedback on mishits and a nice crisp feel on pure strikes.
• Shaft Performance: Callaway only had 85g stiff steel shafts in stock when I placed my order. Ideally, they could be a little heavier, but they help generate more clubhead speed than with my previous irons.
• Grip Feel: Standard Callaway midsize grips are very nice and feel great in the hand.
• Sound: They tend to be a little bit louder than most other irons I’ve used – noticeable but by no means obnoxious. On the plus side, the louder sound on off-center strikes helps improve ball striking because I’ll audibly know when I’ve missed the center of the face.
• Launch Angle: These irons launch high due to the shafts, it complements the stronger lofts of the clubs nicely.
• Spin: Spin seems to be quite good. I haven’t experienced any issues with stopping power or excessive roll-out even on dryer Colorado greens.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Workability: If you’re looking to shotshape like the pros, you’ll probably want to look in another direction. While these have some workability, they’re designed to keep the ball heading fairly straight. You can definitely work the ball when needed. I tend to just play my slight draw, but you can hit just about any shot you desire.
• Aesthetic Appeal: They’re not quite as sleek as some other comparable clubs such as the ZX5’s, or the Mizuno Hot Metals. They look incredible in the bag and are just very clean visually. Not overly bulky like many may assume from a game improvement iron.

Best shot with this club

My best shot was when I hit a blind 6-iron from 205 out in the light rough. I had hit an underwhelming tee shot that I pulled to the left rough and I couldn’t see the flag. So I decided to try and play it safe by hitting an iron in, figuring it would be a little short. I took a nice smooth swing with the 6-iron and really felt like I hit it well, drove up to the green, and ended up sticking it to about 6 feet.

Value for the money vs. other options

In my opinion, the Callaway Apex DCBs are definitely worth the money. They’re certainly in the higher tier in terms of price, but they deliver in every area. Similar options in terms of value would be the aforementioned Srixon ZX5 and Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metals, but the Apex DCBs are cut above in my opinion.

Final verdict

The Callaway Apex DCB irons are the perfect blend of forgiveness, distance, feel, and looks. For someone in the mid-high handicap range, these clubs cannot be overlooked – they’re the best irons I’ve ever hit.

These clubs are featured in the Best Callaway Irons. Check it out for more recommendations and reviews.